U.S. Marine Protected Areas Boundaries: MPA Inventory - National Estuarine Research Reserve System

Metadata:

• Identification_Information
• Data_Quality_Information
• Spatial_Data_Organization_Information
• Spatial_Reference_Information
• Entity_and_Attribute_Information
• Distribution_Information
• Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator:

Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office Of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Marine Protected Areas Center (MPAC)

Publication_Date: 20140910

Title:

U.S. Marine Protected Areas Boundaries: MPA Inventory - National Estuarine Research Reserve System

Edition: 2014 Annual Update

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data

Online_Linkage: <http://marineprotectedareas.noaa.gov/dataanalysis/mpainventory/>

Description:

Abstract:

The MPA Inventory is a comprehensive catalog that provides detailed information for existing marine protected areas in the United States. The inventory provides geospatial boundary information (in polygon format) and classification attributes that seek to define the conservation objectives, protection level, governance and related management criteria for all sites in the database. The comprehensive inventory of federal, state and territorial MPA sites provides governments and stakeholders with access to information to make better decisions about the current and future use of place-based conservation. The information also will be used to inform the development of the national system of marine protected areas as required by Executive Order 13158. The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management extracted areas protected under the National Estuarine Research Reserve System from the MPA Inventory.

Purpose:

The inventory represents a collection of data compiled from various federal, state, tribal and territorial entities to provide a publicly available source of comprehensive information on place-based marine conservation efforts under U.S. federal, state, territorial, local, and tribal jurisdiction.

Supplemental_Information:

This dataset consists of original boundaries as represented by the managing agencies, including any terrestrial components of the protected areas. Only the sub-tidal components of the areas meet the definition of an MPA. Version Notes: 2014: Added California Coastal Marine National Monument (Pt. Arena-Stornetta Unit) and revised boundaries and zones for Rose Atoll, Marianas Trench and Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monuments. Updated Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary to reflect boundary expansion. Updated boundaries data for Alaska state fishery MPAs, West Hawaii Fishery Management Area, and National Estuarine Research Reserves. Added NMFS Arctic Management Area and Pelagic Sargassum Habitat Restricted Area. Removed Florida Surface Water Improvement and Management sites. 2013: Added new MPA boundaries for California South Coast MLPA region, Oregon Marine Reserves. Updated Maryland Oyster Sanctuaries, National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa boundaries. 2012: This version contains boundary updates during the 2011 calendar year. Boundaries were added for new MPAs created in California. Boundaries were updated for National Park Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, Washington, Virgin Islands and Wisconsin sites in the MPA Inventory. 2011: This version contains boundary updates during the 2010 calendar year. Boundaries were added for new MPAs created in California. Boundaries for Hawaii, American Samoa, Florida and National Marine Fisheries Service MPAs were added for sites already in the MPA Inventory. All National Park Service and National Estuarine Research Reserve and some National Wildlife Refuge boundaries were updated with original data. 2010: This version contains boundaries for all sites from authoritative sources as updated between 6/2009-12/2009. New data have been added for multiple states and territories, including Alaska, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, US Virgin Islands and Wisconsin. Numerous shipwreck sites represented as latitude/longitude coordinate points were converted to polygons using a 300-meter radius buffer. NMFS sites have been verified against US Code of Federal Regulations.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Single_Date/Time:

Calendar_Date: 20141008

Currentness_Reference: publication date

Status:

Progress: Complete

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: Annually

Spatial_Domain:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -71.373690

East_Bounding_Coordinate: -70.454068

North_Bounding_Coordinate: 43.350722

South_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.545497

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

Theme_Keyword: Marine Protected Areas

Theme_Keyword: Marine Conservation Areas

Theme_Keyword: Ocean Conservation

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category

Theme_Keyword: boundaries

Theme_Keyword: location

Theme_Keyword: oceans

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: NOS Data Explorer Topic Category

Theme_Keyword: Marine Boundaries

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: NGDA Portfolio Themes

Theme_Keyword: National Geospatial Data Asset

Theme_Keyword: NGDA

Theme_Keyword: Water - Oceans and Coasts

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

Place_Keyword: United States

Place_Keyword: North America

Access_Constraints:

These data are publicly accessible and downloadable via <http://marineprotectedareas.noaa.gov/dataanalysis/mpainventory/>

Use_Constraints:

These data are in the Public domain. The data are not to be used for navigation. For more information, see the accuracy section.

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization:

Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office Of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Marine Protected Areas Center (MPAC)

Contact_Person: GIS Manager

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical

Address: 99 Pacific St.

Address: Suite 100-F

City: Monterey

State_or_Province: CA

Postal_Code: 93940

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (831)242-2050

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: MPAINVENTORY@NOAA.GOV

Data_Set_Credit:

NOAA Marine Protected Areas Center in joint effort with the US Department of the Interior

Native_Data_Set_Environment:

Microsoft Windows 7 Version 6.1 (Build 7601) Service Pack 1; Esri ArcGIS 10.2.2.3552

Data_Quality_Information:

Logical_Consistency_Report:

Inventory data were collected from various sources at various spatial scales. The datasets collected were not resampled and are presented in their original form as provided from the contributing agencies, with the exception for a variety of sites that were digitized from coordinates provided by governing agencies.

Completeness_Report:

This version of the MPA Inventory contains geospatial boundaries for 1,623 of the 1,774 identified marine protected areas, and is considered complete as of May 2013. New and/or altered sites that are not currently present in the database will be added annually, as data are made available. Please note that site inclusion into the MPA inventory required that the site meet specific definition and conservation criteria that are thoroughly detailed on the http:\\marineprotectedareas.noaa.gov website.

Positional_Accuracy:

Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:

Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report: Data were collected using methods that have unknown accuracy.

Lineage:

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

1. GIS data for all sites were collected from authoritative sources. Data were either downloaded from public websites, requested directly from MPA managers or digitized based on legal definitions (e.g., US Code of Federal Regulations).

Process_Date: 20141008

Process_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization:

Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office Of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Marine Protected Areas Center (MPAC)

Contact_Person: GIS Manager

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical

Address: 99 Pacific St.

Address: Suite 100-F

City: Monterey

State_or_Province: CA

Postal_Code: 93940

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 831-645-2703

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: MPAINVENTORY@NOAA.GOV

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

2. All sites were reviewed by MPA Center to ensure a match between GIS data and MPA Inventory description.

Process_Date: 20141008

Process_Step:

Process_Description: 3. All data were reprojected to WGS 1984, decimal degrees.

Process_Date: 20141008

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

4. All new site data were merged into a single shapefile with existing sites.

Process_Date: 20141008

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

5. MPA Inventory shapefile was dissolved to one multipart polygon per site.

Process_Date: 20141008

Process_Step:

Process_Description: 6. MPA Inventory attribute data were appended to shapefile.

Process_Date: 20141008

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

7. The data were downloaded from the National Marine Protected Areas Center website (<http://marineprotectedareas.noaa.gov/dataanalysis/mpainventory/>) by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management on April 22, 2015. In ArcGIS, a definition query was applied to the data to view areas that are part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System. The following definition query was used: "Mgmt_Agen" = 'National Estuarine Research Reserve System'. The data were selected by location to select features that intersect Massachusetts towns. The data were then selected by location to add to the currently selected features any features that intersect Maine, New Hampshire, or Rhode Island. The selected features were extracted and projected to the Massachusetts State Plane Coordinate System, Mainland Zone (FIPS zone 2001), meters.

Process_Date: 20150506

Process_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management

Contact_Position: CZM Data Manager

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical

Address: 251 Causeway Street, Suite 800

City: Boston

State_or_Province: MA

Postal_Code: 02114-2138

Country: US

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 617-626-1200

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 617-626-1240

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: czm@state.ma.us

Hours_of_Service: 0900 hrs to 1600 hrs EST

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:

Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Vector

Point_and_Vector_Object_Information:

SDTS_Terms_Description:

SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: GT-polygon composed of chains

Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 4

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:

Planar:

Map_Projection:

Map_Projection_Name: NAD 1983 StatePlane Massachusetts Mainland FIPS 2001

Lambert_Conformal_Conic:

Standard_Parallel: 41.71666666666667

Standard_Parallel: 42.68333333333333

Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -71.5

Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 41.0

False_Easting: 200000.0

False_Northing: 750000.0

Planar_Coordinate_Information:

Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: coordinate pair

Coordinate_Representation:

Abscissa_Resolution: 0.000000008155898179040834

Ordinate_Resolution: 0.000000008155898179040834

Planar_Distance_Units: meter

Geodetic_Model:

Horizontal_Datum_Name: D North American 1983

Ellipsoid_Name: GRS 1980

Semi-major_Axis: 6378137.0

Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257222101

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:

Detailed_Description:

Entity_Type:

Entity_Type_Label: mpa_nerr_ma

Entity_Type_Definition: Database of MPA geospatial data

Entity_Type_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: FID

Attribute_Definition: Internal feature number.

Attribute_Definition_Source: Esri

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain:

Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Shape

Attribute_Definition: Feature geometry.

Attribute_Definition_Source: Esri

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain: Coordinates defining the features.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Site_ID

Attribute_Definition: Unique site identifier assigned by MPAC

Attribute_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain:

Consists of government level identifier combined with unique number value.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Area_KM_To

Attribute_Definition:

Area of the protected area in square kilometers, including any terrestrial portions, where applicable

Attribute_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain: n/a

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Site_Name

Attribute_Definition: Official name of the MPA

Attribute_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain: n/a

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Site_Label

Attribute_Definition:

Abbreviated version of Site Name, used for cartographic purposes.

Attribute_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain: n/a

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Gov_Level

Attribute_Definition:

Level of government responsible for designating and managing the site

Attribute_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: Partnership

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:

MPA is designated and managed by multiple agencies at more than one level of government

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: State

Attribute_Definition: State name of MPA, or Program, if MPA is federal

Attribute_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain: n/a

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: NS_Full

Attribute_Definition: Status of the site with respect to the National System of MPAs

Attribute_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: Eligible

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Site meets eligibility criteria for the National System

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: Member

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Site has been approved as a National System MPA

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Prot_Lvl

Attribute_Definition:

Level of legal protection afforded to the site's natural and cultural resources and ecological processes

Attribute_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: Uniform Multiple Use

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:

MPAs or zones with a consistent level of protection and allowable activities, including certain extractive uses, across the entire protected area

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Mgmt_Plan

Attribute_Definition: The type of management plan developed for the site

Attribute_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: Site-Specific Management Plan

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: A management plan has been developed specifically for the site

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Mgmt_Agen

Attribute_Definition: Agency responsible for managing the site

Attribute_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain: n/a

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Fish_Rstr

Attribute_Definition: Level of restrictions on commercial and/or recreational fishing

Attribute_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: Commercial and Recreational Fishing Restricted

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:

MPAs or zones place some type of restriction on all types of fishing, including both commercial and recreational. The level of restriction may vary throughout the MPA according to different zones or areas

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: Commercial Fishing Restricted

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:

MPAs or zones place some type of restriction on commercial fishing, which might vary throughout the MPA according to different zones or areas. Recreational fishing may be unrestricted

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: Restrictions Unknown

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: MPAs or zones with unknown fishing restrictions

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Pri_Con_Fo

Attribute_Definition:

Defines the primary characteristics of the area that the MPA was established to conserve.

Attribute_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: Natural Heritage

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:

MPAs or zones established and managed wholly or in part to sustain, conserve, restore, and understand the protected area's natural biodiversity, populations, communities, habitats, and ecosystems; the ecological and physical processes upon which they depend; and, the ecological services, human uses and values they provide to this and future generations.

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Cons_Focus

Attribute_Definition:

All characteristics of the area the site was established to conserve

Attribute_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: Natural Heritage

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Natural Heritage

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Prot_Focus

Attribute_Definition: Ecological scale of site conservation targets

Attribute_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: Ecosystem

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:

MPAs or zones whose legal authorities and management measures are intended to protect all of the components and processes of the ecosystem within its boundaries

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Permanence

Attribute_Definition: Classification of the permanence of the site

Attribute_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: Permanent

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:

MPAs or zones whose legal authorities provide some level of protection to the site in perpetuity for future generations, unless reversed by unanticipated future legislation or regulatory actions

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Constancy

Attribute_Definition: Classification of the constancy of the site throughout the year

Attribute_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: Year-Round

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:

MPAs or zones that provide constant protection to the site throughout the year

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Estab_Yr

Attribute_Definition: The year the site was officially designated or established

Attribute_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain: Positive numbers, or 0 if unknown.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: URL

Attribute_Definition: Website for the MPA created by the managing agency.

Attribute_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain: n/a

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Vessel

Attribute_Definition: Describes if vessel access is allowed within the MPA.

Attribute_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: Restricted

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: The site allows some vessel traffic, with restrictions.

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: Unrestricted

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: The site allows vessel access.

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Anchor

Attribute_Definition: Describes whether anchoring in the site is permitted.

Attribute_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: Restricted

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: The site allows some anchoring, with restrictions.

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: Unrestricted

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: The site allows ship anchoring.

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Area_KM_Ma

Attribute_Definition:

Area of the marine component of the protected area in square kilometers. This value is unofficial, calculated by clipping the polygon to the NOAA Medium Resolution (~80k) shoreline polygon.

Attribute_Definition_Source: MPAC

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain: n/a

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization:

Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office Of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Marine Protected Areas Center (MPAC)

Contact_Person: GIS Manager

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical

Address: 99 Pacific St.

Address: Suite 100-F

City: Monterey

State_or_Province: CA

Postal_Code: 93940

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (831)242-2050

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: MPAINVENTORY@NOAA.GOV

Distribution_Liability:

The MPA Center shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained in this database. These data and related graphics are not legal documents and are not intended to be used as such. The information contained in these data is dynamic and may change over time. The data are not better than the original sources from which they were derived. It is the responsibility of the data user to use the data appropriately and within the limitations of geospatial data in general, and these data in particular.

Standard_Order_Process:

Digital_Form:

Digital_Transfer_Information:

Format_Name: ESRI File geodatabase

Format_Version_Number: 10.1/10.2

Transfer_Size: 49.9

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

<http://marineprotectedareas.noaa.gov/helpful_resources/inventoryfiles/mpa_inventory_2014_public_gdb.zip>

Fees: None

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 20150507

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization:

Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office Of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Marine Protected Areas Center (MPAC)

Contact_Person: GIS Manager

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical

Address: Suite 100-F

Address: 99 Pacific St.

City: Monterey

State_or_Province: CA

Postal_Code: 93940

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (831)242-2050

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: MPAINVENTORY@NOAA.GOV

Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

Metadata_Time_Convention: local time